Some people are pushing for the federal government to take the lead in the effort to stop the Gulf oil leak. But is that a good idea? We're keeping them honest on that and other developments in the crisis. Plus, a new royal scandal. The Duchess of York caught on tape on trying to sell access to her ex-husband Prince Andrew. We'll give you an up close look at the drama.

Scroll down to join the live chat during the program. It's your chance to share your thoughts on tonight's headlines. Keep in mind, you have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules.

Here are some of them:

1) Keep it short (we don't have time to read a "book")
2) Don't write in ALL CAPS (there's no need to yell)
3) Use your real name (first name only is fine)
4) No links
5) Watch your language (keep it G-rated; PG at worst - and that includes $#&*)

A BP cleanup crew removes oil from a beach in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on Sunday.

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

BP’s top executive vows his company is doing all it can to stop the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

"We are not limiting the resources that we are applying to this. We are trying to do the right thing, we're trying to do it the right way, and we are trying to communicate openly and transparently about everything that we've done," BP chief executive Tony Hayward said this afternoon at Fourchon Beach, Louisiana, where oil cleanup efforts are underway.

"We are here for the long haul. We are going to clean every drop of oil off the shore," pledged Hayward.

BP announced a commitment today of up to $500 million to open a research program to study the impact of the spill. The first grant will go to Louisiana State University.

Meanwhile, the oil continues to leak into the Gulf. This is day 35 of the spill. BP's next effort to plug the leak will take place at dawn Wednesday in a maneuver known as a "top kill", where heavy kill mud will be pumped into the well so it reduces the pressure and then the oil flow from the well. If the well is shut down BP will then use cement to cap the leak. BP admits this has never been done at these depths.

As we do each night on 360°, we're keeping them honest. Tonight hear what Hayward said about the environmental impact of the spill last week and how he changed his tune today. We'll also get beyond all the talk and show you up close what's at stake.

You’ll see what's happening to the birds and other animals that call the Gulf-area home. Anderson will talk with Billy Nungesser, the President of Louisana's Plaquemines Parish who was once in the oil business. He said today there are islands in his area with "thousands of pelicans" covered with oil. "We're playing with a disaster beyond anybody's imagination," Nungesser said.

We're also looking at the suggestion from some people that the federal government should take over the effort to close the leak. Tom Foreman made some calls on that today and will share what he discovered. Dan Simon is digging deeper on how chemical dispersants work on an oil spill. It’s a toxic effort. The EPA has said it's "deeply concerned" about the potential side effects.

We also have a CNN investigation on the pirate hijacking of the Maersk Alabama last year off the coast of Somalia. 16 of its 19 crew members say the captain ignored explicit warnings to stay well of the coast. "It's almost like he wanted to be captured," the ship's chief engineer, Mike Perry, told CNN's Drew Griffin. The captain was rescued by U.S. Navy SEAL commandos and later lauded for his bravery. But those crew members tell a different story.

Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10 p.m. ET on CNN. See you then.

More than a month after the Gulf Coast oil spill began, BP's next effort to plug the leak is to come at dawn Wednesday. BP plans to pump thick, viscous fluid twice the density of water into the site of the leak to stop the flow so the well can then be sealed with cement - the "top kill" procedure.

Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley and Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser will be digging deeper and discussing the politics and implications of BP's plan. Do you have questions for them? Let us know!

Send us a text message with your question. Text AC360 (or 22360), and you might hear it on air!

BP Pledges $500 Million for Independent Research into Impact of Spill on Marine Environment

Release date: 24 May 2010

BP today announced a commitment of up to $500 million to an open research program studying the impact of the Deepwater Horizon incident, and its associated response, on the marine and shoreline environment of the Gulf of Mexico.

"BP has made a commitment to doing everything we can to lessen the impact of this tragic incident on the people and environment of the Gulf Coast. We must make every effort to understand that impact. This will be a key part of the process of restoration, and for improving the industry response capability for the future. There is an urgent need to ensure that the scientific community has access to the samples and the raw data it needs to begin this work," said Tony Hayward, BP's chief executive.

The key questions to be addressed by this 10-year research program reflect discussions with the US government and academic scientists in Washington DC last week. BP will fund research to examine topics including:

Where are the oil, the dispersed oil, and the dispersant going under the action of ocean currents?
How do oil, the dispersed oil and the dispersant behave on the seabed, in the water column, on the surface, and on the shoreline?
What are the impacts of the oil, the dispersed oil, and the dispersant on the biota of the seabed, the water column, the surface, and the shoreline?
How do accidental releases of oil compare to natural seepage from the seabed?
What is the impact of dispersant on the oil? Does it help or hinder biodegradation?
How will the oil, the dispersed oil, and the dispersant interact with tropical storms, and will this interaction impact the seabed, the water column and the shoreline?
What can be done to improve technology:
To detect oil, dispersed oil, and dispersant on the seabed, in the water column, and on the surface?
For remediating the impact of oil accidently released to the ocean?
BP already has ongoing marine research programs in the Gulf of Mexico. Building on these, BP will appoint an independent advisory panel to construct the long term research program. Where appropriate, the studies may be coordinated with the ongoing natural resources damages assessment. The program will engage some of the best marine biologists and oceanographers in the world. More immediately, a baseline of information for the long term research program is needed. A first grant to Louisiana State University will help kick start this work.

"LSU has a significant amount of experience in dealing with the oil and gas industry and deep knowledge pertaining to the Gulf of Mexico across numerous topical disciplines. The first part of the program is about obtaining and analyzing samples and assessing immediate impacts. Other areas of importance will emerge as researchers become engaged and the potential impacts from the spill are better understood," said Professor Christopher D'Elia, Dean of the School of the Coast and Environment.

Subsequent awards will be controlled by the independent advisory board.

Notes to editors:
BP has been collaborating with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography since 2004 in a program aimed at gaining a better understanding of the environment and hazards in oceans, including marine electromagnetic research. The focus of oceanography efforts has been loop currents in the Gulf of Mexico.
In 2008, as part of the Deepwater Environmental Long-term Observatory System (DELOS), BP installed the world's first system designed to monitor deep-sea marine life. DELOS is supported by Texas A&M in Galveston, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, University of Aberdeen, National Oceanography Centre in Southampton and the University of Glasgow.

Ready for today's Beat 360°? Everyday we post a picture you provide the caption and our staff will join in too. Tune in tonight at 10pm to see if you are our favorite! Here is the 'Beat 360°' pic:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner arrive for a family photo with US and Chinese officials at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 24, 2010, during the start of the second round of the US-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue. The US and China opened two days of high-level talks due to cover a wide range of issues including tensions over the sinking of a South Korean warship, blamed on Pyongyang.

Have fun with it. We're looking forward to your captions! Make sure to include your name, city, state (or country) so we can post your comment.

Beat 360° Winners:

Staff:
Ben Finley
Secretary Clinton breaks the ice with Chinese officials by bursting into a tune from her favorite musical…“Cats”

Viewer:
Rick from Phoenix, Arizona
Tim talking through his teeth: "Smile big and make nice... we owe them a lot of money."

The German owned container ship M/V Hansa Stavanger was hijacked by Somali
Pirate at 0530UTC on 04APR09, at position 02 40S and 048 03E. The pirates
are in control of the vessel and sailing to an undisclosed location. No
further information was obtained or crew information. All are advised to
take precausionalry mearsures while transiting in this area.

At 1400 UTC, on 02APR09, a container vessel- M/V CMA CGM Azteca was attacked
by two blue pirate skiffs launched by a mother vessel in position
05.31N-056.32E. Each skiff had 4 armed pirates dressed in green uniforms.
Small arms were fired at the contained vessel, which increased to maximum
speed and executed evassive maneuvers. At 1424 pirates reduced speed and
gave up.

It is recommended that all vessels not making scheduled calls to ports in
Somalia, Kenya or Tanzania keep as far from the Somali coast as possible.

MSCHOA now advise that vessels should consider maintaining a distance of
more than 600 nautical miles from Somalia coastline, and when routing
north/south consider keeping East of 60E Longitude until East of the
Seychelles.

All vessels transiting the area and not able to keep 600 nm off the Somali
coast are advised not to approach closer than 50nm from the position given
in this report and maintain maximum CPA with any ship acting suspiciously.

While navigating in the region, vessels are urged to operate at a heightened
state of readiness, maintaining strict 24 hour anti-piracy visual and radar
watches, actively implement recommended anti-piracy measures and regularly
report their position/course/speed to UKMTO.

A piracy alert has been raised by the United Kingdom Maritime trade
Organization's Maritime Security Center.

Alert type : Pirate Attack

Location : Indian Ocean

Latitude : 08 30S

Longitude : 046 30E

On 27 or 28 MAR a passenger ship was hijacked, the location given above is
the estimated position of the attack

On 27 or 28 MAR a passenger ship was hijacked, the location given above is
the estimated position of the attack.

It is recommended that all vessels not making scheduled calls to ports in
Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania keep as far from the Somali coast as possible.
Vessels should consider maintaining a distance of more than 600 nautical
miles from Somalia coastline, and when routing north/south consider keeping
East of 60E Longitude until East of the Seychelles.,

While navigating in the region vessels are urged to operate at a heightened
state of readiness, maintaining strict 24 hour anti-piracy visual and radar
watches, actively implement recommended anti-piracy measures and regularly
report their position/course/speed to UKMTO.

US Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen speaks in the White House briefing room on May 24.

(CNN) - BP will not be replaced by the federal government in the ongoing cleanup efforts of the Gulf oil spill, said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen, the Obama administration's point man for the spill.

"To push BP out of the way would raise the question: to replace them with what?" he said at the White House. BP is "exhausting every technical means possible" to deal with the spill, he said on Monday.

A BP executive on Monday defended his company's attempts to stop the leak amid growing frustration and suggestions that the federal government should take over the effort.

The company's next effort to plug the leak is to be tried at dawn Wednesday, spokesman John Curry said. BP plans to use a "top kill" procedure - the pumping of thick, viscous fluid twice the density of water into the site of the leak to stop the flow so the well can then be sealed with cement.

Britain's Prince Andrew has denied knowing anything about his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson's alleged offer to an undercover tabloid newspaper reporter to sell access to Queen Elizabeth's second son for £500,000 ($723,000).

His comments came after News of the World posted a video on its Web site Sunday that appears to show Ferguson accepting money from an undercover reporter in exchange for an introduction to Prince Andrew.

Ferguson is also filmed on hidden camera telling the reporter - who was posing as a wealthy businessman - that a payment of £500,000 "opens doors" to Andrew.

She then shakes hands with the reporter after he accepts the deal.

On Monday the royal family moved quickly to distance itself from Ferguson, who has never been far from the headlines since she married Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, in 1986. The couple separated in 1992 and divorced four years later.